How do we think about the future of our orbital environment?
In this Space Café Clip, Torsten Kriening sits down with José Ferreira, PhD candidate at the University of Southern California, to explore a topic few dare to tackle:
👉 What really happens when satellites and spacecraft reenter and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere?
José’s groundbreaking research investigates the chemical and environmental effects of these reentries — from aluminum and lithium particles to the potential atmospheric consequences of the growing number of human-made objects returning from orbit.
🌍 Topics we dive into:
– The unknowns behind atmospheric reentry and spacecraft demise
– How anthropogenic particles compare to natural meteoroid dust
– Why intellectual humility and global cooperation are key to protecting Earth’s upper atmosphere
– The urgent need for funding and research to close knowledge gaps before it’s too late
José reminds us that space sustainability isn’t just about orbit – it’s also about what happens when space comes back home.
Watch this fascinating conversation from the 7th Summit for Space Sustainability in Paris, hosted by the Secure World Foundation, and stay tuned for more clips from this event!
